


All We Can Do

by Eff_Dragonkiller



Series: 2019 Fluff Bingo [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Civil War, Don't copy to another site, Gen, No Hardeen Arc, Social & Political Unrest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-16 02:29:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20165359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eff_Dragonkiller/pseuds/Eff_Dragonkiller
Summary: Sometimes negotiations go wrong.





	All We Can Do

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fill for the Fluff Bingo Challenge on the Just Write Discord Server. 
> 
> The prompt was tea.

Obi-Wan fought the headache that pounded at the front of his head and tried to pull his attention back to the negotiation at hand.

"If they are so concerned with the state that they live in then they should do something about it!" The Minister of the Interior argued strongly.

Spoken like someone who had never had to confront the privileges inherent to his own status in life. As for that matter, the people of the planet had done something. They had revolted.

"I completely agree, Minister Salz," the General said placidly, "the state of the planet is the responsibility of the people." The Minister started to smile and nod; while there was a certain feeling of despondency as the 'small folk' stared betrayed at the Negotiator. "Just don't forget that you are one of the people on this planet."

Both groups looked shocked at the general. Obi-Wan had lost his give-a-fuck. He was tired and hungry, desperately in need of a cup of tea, a hot shower, and a long nap. Which he was increasingly unlikely to get. So, Obi-Wan was willing to do something that he shouldn't; his reputation and his legend as a General without equal spread far and wide in this damnable war and allowed him more leeway than most.

He was blunt.

"The foundation of your civil war is the inequality between social classes, which is perpetuated by your political system. Stopping the war would require changing the system." Obi-Wan leaned forward. "You need to consider the types of rights that should be equal for everyone on your planet. Healthcare, education, equal protection under the law; these are a few of the basic rights that the Republic requires of all their member planets. I've already offered the entire list to your aid."

"We have read that list." A politician from the other side of the Minister sneered. "It is an insult and a heresy! You would have us give up our divine rights and honors! Consort with the worms as though they were equal. To give them equal pay, to allow them to vote, to let them intermarry with us. It is a folly most absurd! They are not like us." he sneered, "It is our divine right to rule. It is their place _to be ruled_."

The Minister was listening. Their opponents were listening. Everyone was listening, including Obi-Wan. And he grew more concerned the longer the politician's rant went on. This was not going to end well.

War had come to Elma and it sounded like it was here to stay. The Senate would not be getting whatever it was they wanted from these people, and Obi-Wan couldn't find it in himself to be upset about it. He was tired and this was probably going to get bloody in a hurry.

"It is not their fault," A female aid interrupted from the side. "The Gods simply saw fit to leave them as the caretakers of the planet, not the leaders. But we can work this -"

"There will be no 'working it out'." The opposition stood, blaster in hand.

Weapons primed on all sides. Obi-Wan's troopers stood around the room, a better defensive position, but there were only four of them. The two other groups in the conference room outnumbered them three to one.

"I thought we all agreed to no weapons during negotiations?" The Jedi put himself in the middle of the time bomb the meeting had just become. "What happened to ‘a show of good faith'?"

"We do regret the necessity of lying, Master Jedi." One of the Opposition's Lieutenants replied softly. "But we knew going in that this wasn't going to work. The State's foundation is built on the bones of our mothers and fathers. They were never going to see us in their vaunted halls."

"I am not prepared to give up here." Obi-Wan replied carefully, "Perhaps we could take a break and reconvene at a later time?"

"No! I won't have it!" The leader of the Opposition snarled. "We have been oppressed and humiliated. You have wasted our lives, decried our position, and given us no more choice than pets. We will have it no longer!"

There was a roar of thousands of voices agreeing from outside the palace, and Obi-Wan spared a glance to see that thousands - perhaps even the entire city - had converged on the Minister's Palace. There was no way the 212th could stop this. They were good soldiers, but this was a mob.

"It is no reflection of your skill, Master Jedi; rather a measure of how much hate we have in our hearts." The woman shared a look with her leader before motioning to the door as blasters and knives came out from all manner of hiding places. "I think it's time for you to leave."

"I see," the General sighed, negotiations could not be held when neither party would cooperate. He'd often brokered peace where the only thing keeping two parties at the table was their respect for _him._ Even in those cases, however, peace was still a goal. Here on Elma, all they wanted was blood. "May the Force be with you both."

His party was politely, but firmly, escorted out of the palace and onto a waiting shuttle with the rest of the 212th that had been on guard duty surrounding the palace. They were dropped out at the landing zone for _The Negotiator_ and politely, but firmly, requested to leave.

"General." Commander Cody frowned at the Jedi and troopers marching up onto the ship, "We're prepared to lift off. Your units were the last on the planet."

"Good. Then give the command."

"Aye, ser."

The planet blurred into a mass of color and sound as the battleship left atmosphere. It was a shame that the negotiations fell through. It had been a lovely planet once, that now lay ruined by greed and hatred. Perhaps it would be beautiful again one day, but that beauty would forever be bought with blood. Just like the hundreds of other planets he'd been on in the last several years. Just one bloody battleground after the next. Nothing to see but the mud made with tears on the ashes of funeral fires.

"General?"

Obi-Wan didn't have to look to see which trooper it was. Cody flared like an inferno in the Force. A single unique soul amongst millions all with the same face. "Yes, Cody?"

"I have tea, ser. And one of those honey and oatmeal bars you like."

The Jedi turned, surprised to see the other man didn't just have a tea mug, he had a complete tea service in his hands.

"Teach me how to do this shit?"

Obi-wan huffed a laugh as he directed his friend to an empty patch of floor where they could stargaze out the windows. "It's not shit. It's tea."

"Steamed leaf juice." Cody raised a brow, "what's the difference?"

Obi-Wan gasped, placing a hand over his heart. "You wound me!"

"You'll get over it. Now pour."

After the impromptu lesson on how to hold a proper tea service, and when they were both warming their hands with the warmth from the cups, Cody turned to the General. "Are there many of those planets? Ones who think a quirk of fate over who your biological parents are should determine things like your worth?"

Obi-Wan quirked a sardonic brow, "You tell me. Do you still meet people who assume that because you're a clone you aren't an individual?"

Cody hesitated a moment, "What's it worth then? Trying to bring them to peace?"

Obi-Wan twisted his cup widdershins and wondered what the leaves would say, "I don't know how any of the other Generals feel, but everyone should have the right to live in a world where they don't have to fear authority. The class they were born to shouldn't limit their options for the future." He sighed. "The Republic has laws against oppression and tyranny, but there are so many ways to legalize inequality. All we can do is do what we can."

Cody considered the tea left in his cup before he offered, "If it helps, General, I think you do a lot."

The smile Obi-Wan offered his clone commander was a weak and broken thing, "Thank you, Cody."

The rest of the pot grew cold as they sat in silence watching the light of distant stars streak against the observation dome. For now, everything was quiet.


End file.
